The Age of Sacred Terror

Long before September 11, 2001, Steven Simon and Daniel Benjamin warned publicly of a massive terrorist strike against America. They were not voices from the fringe; they had been the directors of the White House's counterterrorism program. Their warnings were ignored. Now they have written the definitive work on radical Islam's war against America, from its deep origins to our long struggle ahead.

Our Separate Ways: The Fight for the Future of the US-Israel Alliance

The future of the relationship between Israel and America is deeply uncertain: The current political leadership of each country is hostile to the other, there is no longer a sense of shared strategic focus, and demographic changes are forcing the countries further apart with every passing year. Undermining the relationship between Israel and the US is the fact that it was never clearly defined. The ambiguity has been politically helpful but now threatens the future: There is no treaty, no agreed set of obligations, no mutual dependence.

Obama Has Struck the Right Balance: Opposing View

The U.S. could conceivably have done things in Syria beyond what it did. The U.S. began with crushing sanctions to bankrupt President Bashar Assad’s supporters, diplomatic isolation and efforts to build up external opposition. These efforts eventually morphed into military support for the armed opposition.

"Obama Has Struck the Right Balance: Opposing View" is from the December 28, 2016 Opinion section of USA Today. It was written by Steven Simon and narrated by Mark Ashby.

Assad Has It His Way

President Bashar al-Assad is winning in Syria. Russia has shifted the balance of power there dramatically. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the UN might insist that Assad negotiate with his opponents and ultimately cede power to them, but the Syrian president has no intention of accepting such demands. His advisers state that he will go to talks in Geneva this month “to listen, but not to negotiate.”

Forgotten Spaces: Poetry for a Pensive Mood

These 25 poems explore the dark paths on our walks through life: addiction, bereavement, solitude. These are the forgotten spaces, blighted areas we pretend don't exist. Everybody's got one. For some, it's outside their windows; others, it's under their very roofs. But regardless of where these dark places are, a pit of quicksand is just as deadly no matter where located. Tread lightly.